Region’s foreclosure rate leaps

However, it was an increase of 1,288.43 percent over 2006, the biggest leap among the top 100 areas in RealtyTrac’s listing, which was released today.

The Washington metro region had the nation’s third-highest increase from 2006, 574.94 percent, with 1.16 percent of homes in foreclosure.

The Detroit metro region had the highest rate in the nation, 4.92 percent.

Special election may wait

A special election to replace Marilyn Praisner could hinge on the outcome of Tuesday’s state primary election, Council President Michael J. Knapp said Monday.

‘‘The county no longer controls the voting machines,” said Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown. ‘‘If there’s a recount, they could lock the machines down for six or seven weeks.”

Praisner, a Democrat who represented the council’s District 4, served for more than 17 years before her Feb. 1 death from complications after her heart surgery at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda.

County Council officials hope to be able to ‘‘have a sense of what we can do schedule-wise” by the end of this week, Knapp said.

After that, the council will pass a resolution to schedule the special election to fill Praisner’s vacancy.